Woven lace curtains comprised of patterned vertical panels joined by integrally woven vertical zones of open mesh are known in the art, for example, as disclosed in my Canadian patent No. 1,225,929. In order to suspend the prior art curtain from a rod or pole, an opening was integrally woven into each of the panels at the time of manufacture. Thereafter, the woven fabric was treated with a finishing agent to stiffen the entire curtain so that the panels would hang vertically to permit the decorative pattern to be seen and enjoyed when the curtain was in the extended position, and equally as importantly, to permit the panels to lay flat against each other when accordion-folded against the frame at the side of the window.
Curtains of the prior art construction with integrally woven openings for the curtain rod did not provide a consistent and uniform appearance when in the extended, or partially extended position. This was because the weaving of the openings could not be done with absolute precision from panel to panel, and also because of the uneven forces applied to the areas around the openings when the curtain was manually moved along the rod. As a result, panels hung at different heights, which was readily apparent to even a casual observer, since both the top and bottom edges of the stiffened panels were out of alignment.
The lack of uniform alignment of the panels of the prior art curtains was also attributable to the construction of the vertical zones of open mesh that provided the flexibility of a hinge that allowed the panels to be positioned in compact, accordion-folded alignment. The open mesh construction consisted of a vertical twisted strand formed from a plurality of individual threads. At regular, alternating intervals, a thread was drawn from the strand and interwoven into an adjacent panel. However, the thread extended into the panel at a single point of entry. This construction provided uneven vertical support between the panels, and allowed adjacent panels to hang at uneven heights.
It is therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved curtain in which the individual panels maintain a visual alignment when supported on a curtain rod or pole.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved construction to the vertical zone of woven open mesh that will provide increased vertical support to adjacent panels of the stiffened fabric and thereby assist in maintaining the visual alignment over the life and use of the curtains.
Another object of the invention is to provide improved methods of manufacture of such curtains that are faster, more efficient and less expensive than the methods of the prior art.
A further object of the invention is to provide improved curtains having an extended useful life, and which require no wands, clips, pulleys or other accessory components for their use and installation.